Kirby Tradition - Make it suck baby!

[hoover1060]

Anyone who's ever used a Kirby Tradition with its original paper bag system can literally hear the bag fill tube choking the airflow off and the cleaner gasping for air. Here is the original paper bag system, a 2" hose and adapter attached to the emptor a'la tupperware lid

 

[hoover1060]

now look at:

The bag fill tube from a Heritage series... WAY more GIRTH here...

 

[hoover1060]

so with some drilling

and a little bit of sealant, this tradition can now use the HEPA bags, and will have some airflow thanks to the larger bag tube...
I'm using the emptor adaptor from a Heritage I, and its attached to the Traditions emptor with two screws.

 

[hoover1060]

the end result:

A Kirby that no longer gasps for air and acutally cleans quite nicely. (Note the carpet lines- also installed is a 4 brush ball bearing brush roller)
It works so well that Jack decided he'd kinda sorta pose with it!

 

[petek]

How'd you get that thing shined up so fast.. I must be a lazy sob as I haven't touched that Classic III I got last weekend. hahaha. I don't think I wants to go doing any drilling though.

 

[hoover1060]

nah, you're not lazy

I was a little under the weather with a cold this past weekend, so when I wasn't passed out in a Nyquil coma I was parked downstairs polishing that Kirby.
The guy I bought it from said the shine was a "7" He was being generous, but it really didn't take alot of elbow grease to make her sparkle!

 

[urarachu]

It looks beautiful! I remember when I was a kid, and the Kirby store was right next to the library. I would stare into the window at the kirbys. The one that really stayed with me was the Tradition. It was so shiny and perfect. I was really short and I would have to look up at it. It was art.

 

[hoover1060]

Favorites based on looks:

1-Classic III - that red with the polished aluminum really pops!
2-Tradition - The Blue is almost as rich as the red
3-G5 - always liked burgundy too
4-Legend II - the rose color looks very nice on this one

Ugliest models(IMHO)
1-G3 - poor thing was just plain jane
2- Heritage I - Who told them orange went with grey?

There has not been a GREEN Kirby since the D80... its time for another one!

 

[tlee618]

Jeff, the Tradition looks beautiful! That is another one of my favorites. Haven't tried the 4 brush, brush rolls yet but have to get a couple one of these days and give them a try. I agree with you, Kirby is long over do for a green model! Terry

 

[brettsomers]

speaking of... does ANYBODY know when kirby will come out with a redesign?

 

[petek]

I like the Classic III equally as well as the Tradition and the Heritage Legend II and the D80.. but I agree about the G3 being a snore, it almost looks antiseptic industrial, still it's a great vac.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Jeff...

Give us a better glam shot of the machine...

 

[hooverwheelaway]

I agree...

It is about time for Kirby to introduce a complete re-design, that regurgitated G3 is getting tired.

Is 15 years the longest they've held a design?

 

[hoover1060]

I gotta admire Kirby for:

Sticking to their guns so to speak. When everyone else is trying to sell clean-air machines with on board tools, Here's Kirby with their same horizontal motor-dirty fan design that they used on their first machines. And they have one model out at a time.
I think the G-series machines have been their best yet, they clean, and thanks to the self propel are pretty easy to use.
The price is a little outlandish, but then Kirbys have always gone for big $$$'s.
Something to think about:
In 1974 you could buy a new Classic Omega for about $300
a Hoover Dial-a-Matic power drive in 1974 went for about $160

Today that new Kirby costs $1800
What would the Dial-A-Matic cost in today's dollars?

Fred: I think the first generation models(from 1c to D80) is the longest they've held a design, 1935-1968?
Correct me please Kirby experts...

 

[westytoploader]

Fantastic job Jeff, she looks GREAT!! Sure wish I hung onto my Tradition, but it wasn't really the best machine, IMHO.

I agree with you on the fact that the G3 and Heritage I models are UGLY...I don't think the G4 looks all that great either. The G5 and Legend I/II models, in my opinion, however, are good-looking machines, and I like the styling of the GSix and Ultimate G as well. Time to go back to Sirocco or Green again though!! ;-)

 

[veg-o-matic]

I always say...

There's nothing like a little extra girth.

veg

 

[programcomputer]

I hear a rumor that....

Not only is a new Kirby forthcoming, but rumor is, that it's supposed to have tools on board. HOW this wil be done I have no clue..but my freind Bill, who works for the Kirby company store up in Lansing Mi, said it's supposed to come out in 07'-08' sometime therin.

Royal tried to update their Metal Line with the 45 lb. PowerCast cleaners a few years back. Dual-Motor, geared belt, updated brushroll and OF COURSE bypass air-system. All in three funky boring colors with blue being the lower line, burgandy being the middle line, and black being TOL..

Royal, realizing that they had just created the worlds most expensive pleasure boat anchor...discontinued them in toto and is trying to replace them out from under owners ASAP. Funny that our reps say that, yet you can still get a new on IN THE BOX thru Ebay and certain websites. Heck we just sold the last of ours over Christmas.

Anyway, a new Kirby would be very nice...and YES in green. We just complined to the Miele rep that we have no green cleaners..green gives a feeling of fresh and clean just like blue and white...

Sorry I'm done now...

Chad

 

[eluxomarty]

kirby designs

I am not a kirby expert per say but i have a few in the collection. I always group my Kirby's by the different designs. Models 509 to 515 are the smaller of the 500 series. In 1956 Kirby came out with the new redesigned 516 which style ended with green D80. In 1970 Kirby came out with the humungous Classic, a design which ended with the Tradition. From 1981 to 1990 the Heritage and Legend series shared a similar design ( the way the bag hooked onto the handle, mini emptors) and finally Kirby has had the Generation series since 1990.

 

[hoover1060]

New Kirby

There's been talk of a Kirby with on-board tools for the last 5 yearsor better, I would not doubt a prototype exists somewhere too. It just depends on how much courage the Kirby people have with regard to bringing this thing to the public.
It was 5 years or so ago that I heard about Kirby taking the speed switch out from under nozzle/hose connection and having it so the user could switch from low to high speed whenever, so the high speed would be available for rug cleaning, which is finally now on the current Diamond G model.
My opinion is they have a good cleaner now, yes its expensive but it also works and is pretty sturdy. Why mess that up?
What they should do is bring back the old non-self propelled model Legend II style and have that as well as the self propelled.

 

[brettsomers]

YES, jeff...

a lightweight royal-style upright with removable nozzle. the key word here is *lightweight*. and then a more deluxe model that weighs a ton.

 

[compactc9]

Roayl did make a model with removable nozzle that came off like a Kriry's.

 

[urarachu]

Fun Royals...

I always wanted to try one of those Royals with the removable nozzle. My oh my do I love Royals...

*whispers* Speaking of Royals...they're coming out with an 8-pound commercial and household upright really soon. Someone from Royal came into the shop today and showed it off, hoping we'd pick up a bunch of em' when they were released. They are relatively quiet, but our Riccar Supralites definately clean a lot better. There were all sorts of little annoying things that I noticed about it while it was in our lobby. Anywho look for em' soon! They'll be available exclusively at your local Electro-Hygiene dealer!

 

[tolivac]

Love the bag mod for the Tradidtion-and yes the new HEPA filtration Filtrete bags will fit it.Better filtration and performance!!!
On the removable nozzle Royals-beleive this wasn't done because it would infringe on Kirby's patents on that design.I don't beleive Royal wants to go thru that trouble.
I have two Powercasts-the Red and the Blue models-may look for the "Black" one.Its supposed to have a twin fan suction motor-and the deluxe tool kit.When you use one of these-it feels like you are pushing a Certified Pile lifter vac!!but the Certified would still do a better job-its a 75 pound machine used by some commercial carpet cleaners-they use the machine before a carpet is cleaned or shampooed-and then after-the carpet has dried-that big roller brush it has really fluffs and deep cleans the pile-it reaches all the way down to the pile backing-something standard vacs don't do.Would love to add one of those behemoths to my collection.older ones used a tornado type suction motor for suction-and a one- third-to half HP induction motor to turn the enormous brush roll.Newer ones use a 10A Royal suction motor(like on royal uprights) and the induction motor to turn the brush roll.
As for the "tools on borad" Kirby-still waiting for that one-due to the Kirby design-beleive this would be impossible-unless you want to use a bulldozer to push the machine and a forklift to carry it between rooms or up stairs.
On the Kirby Diamond "G" switch-you could almost call it a four speed machine-still has the two speed switch on the front of the powerplant.Still runs at "lo" for the floor and carpet nozzle" than "hi" for the hose.The additional switch on the top of the powerplant allows you to slow it down in either hose or carpet modes-giving you additional low speeds for each of those modes-say for hose mode-a low speed for vacumming drapes without the tool inhaling them,and additional low for vacuuming delicate carpets or rugs.Kirby now sells a hose attahment so you can from the attachment end of the hose-select low or high speeds!-and then you can get the additional speeds from the switch on top of the motor.
Green vacs-yes would be nice-but not the green color the Dual 80 was in-that machine performs great-but that green is unappealing--Liked the nice Brown-or "copper" the dual 50 was-was more attractive-and liked the all metal upright handle bar better.The plastic upper handlebars have atendency to break after a while.The get age cracks.Metal ones don'tand they are lighter in weight.
another thing-the Royal "Classic" and Royal "Everlast" direct air uprights performed better than the Powercast with less weight and power consumption-I pit my Royal Classsics against the Powercasts and the Classics beat them!!Too-the Powercast has a TERRIBLE bag design.They should have used the Royal "B" bags in it and gone to Filtrete.The Roller brushes in the classics-(with the stiffeners)are better than the roller brush in the Powercast.The Hoover "Z" vac is even heavier than the Powercast!!Go to Sears or Best Buy and lift and try one!!Better bring your strong arms!!Its almost like pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks!Oh- on the Kirbys-please of please bring back the metal fans and give us metal wands and tools!!and locking ones at that.The "friction fit" is a joke-either they come apart while using-or they get stucktogether.
In the future me and a friend may be selling Kirbys-guess I had better review the salesmen demo tape!!They are an interesting machine to demo--the kirby can do MANY things besides vacuuming.And I have PLENTY of dirt meters for them!!and yes dirt pads.They say you should pull 50 -100 dirt pads per demo!